Makeover Monday: A New Me!

See this smile on my face?  It's not there anymore.  This was before I started the Insanity workout.  I'm pretty sure my results are crap, but I'm going to post them anyway.  That way I can come back here and compare every now and then.

Switch Kick - 67
Power Jack - 50
Power Knee - 86
Power Jump - 30
Power Squat - 8
S*icides - 13
Push Up Jacks - 15
Agility - 22

Since my birthday was last week, I decided I had better start taking care of myself for real.  I'm not getting any younger, after all.  And lately I've heard these commercials on the radio that say "If you're thinking about having a baby in the future, you need to start preparing your body now..." Thank you, wake up call!

I usually do OK with the workout portion, but I really struggle with the eating right part of being healthy.  I have an insatiable sweet tooth.  I seriously eat something sweet after almost every meal.  And sometimes dessert *is* dinner!  So I'm going to be spending much more time on Pinterest checking out all the sites and blogs where they take something delicious and fattening and turn it into something much less horrible for you.  Hey - anything to spend more time on Pinterest!

What have you done to take better care of yourself?  What are some of your go-to recipes?  Please share!

*SJ*

Two Minute Tuesday

"God's vision for YOU is bigger, brighter, and better than anything you can envision for yourself.  Every day He wants to move YOU closer to that image He has for YOU."

Such eye-opening words spoken by my pastor, Dr. Brandon Thomas at Keystone Church in Keller.

Another Trip Around the Sun

I just got home from my birthday dinner.  My sister made my favorite - taco salad, and lemon cake by special request.  Best gift of the evening goes to my niece, Zoe, who is 7.  

Check out this adorable birthday card she made me.  Simple message, and one *I* forget all too often.  Meant so much to see it in her handwriting, though.

BTW, in case you were wondering what on earth is going on in the picture to the right: my sister is always giving me clothes and shoes that she doesn't wear anymore.  Pretty great sister, huh?  Well, she had a basket for me today, and the girls were walking around in the shoes - wearing their jammies, of course.  Zoe decided they needed to sit on the ottoman and fan themselves like "fancy ladies" so that is what is happening there.

These kids crack me up!  I am truly so fortunate to have them in my life.  I love watching them grow up into little people with personalities and ideas.  This was a great birthday, and I think this might be the Year of the Princess!

*SJ*

For Sarah Jane, On the Eve of Her 34th Year

Good Heavens, Girl!

What a year it has been!  You've seen unimaginable heartbreak, experienced anger, loss, and overwhelming acceptance.  365 days ago, you were on your way to Happily Ever After.  How could you have possibly known the year you would have?

It's been hard.  There have been tears - A LOT of tears.  But you're sitting here today, and you're a more whole person than you've been in a long time.  Maybe ever.  So many people are proud of you.  *I* am proud of you.  Here are a few reasons why:

*You are faithfully attending and involved in church
*You've lived on your own for almost a year
*You are learning who you are, and you really LOVE that girl
*You are surrounding yourself with people who are good for you
*You know your worth - and demand it
*You are stronger than anyone gave you credit for
*You haven't let the hard times get you down.  Instead, you have found true joy by realizing that not every experience has to be a 'happy' one to be a 'good' one.

Sarah Jane, I am excited and terrified for what this year has in store.  Each day is a fresh start.  A new chance to do great things and be great.  You have a great God to help you.  Look to Him, learn from Him.  Use the godly women He has placed in your life to help you.  YOU ARE HIS.

A few more reminders:
~~"The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain.  The Lord your God will bless you in the land He is giving you." --Deuteronomy 28:8

~~"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." --J.B. Priestly

~~"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover." --attributed to Mark Twain

~~"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." --Proverbs 16:9

~~"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter.  Try again.  Fail again.  Fail better." --Samuel Beckett

Don't forget to be good to yourself.  Be good to others.  Be great.  Be brave.  Happy Birthday, Princess.

*SJ*

Make Something Monday: Making Memories

Tonight I am enjoying a relaxing evening, sipping beer (yes, I always *sip* - even beer) and watching Duck Dynasty.  We are cleaning guns, and shopping for parts online.

The reason I have titled today's "Make Something Monday" as Making Memories is because I feel we are doing just that. I have begun a new relationship with someone who is very important to me.  He has been out of my life for a while, and I have missed him dearly every day.  I'm not quite prepared to reveal who this Special Someone is, because...it's a secret!

We haven't told our families that we are seeing each other, or even speaking for that matter.  In fact, the only people who know he is back in my life are the three girls I work with every day.  We prefer to keep things quiet for a while and let things develop as they will.  I am not eager to have other people and their opinions involved in our relationship.  Besides, being involved in a secret tryst is so exciting!

I hope you will go out and make some special memories today.  What are some of your favorite memories?

*SJ*

Stream of Consciousness Writing

Someone on the NaNoWriMo board suggested "stream of consciousness" writing as a warm-up exercise. I thought I'd give it a shot, so while I was sitting at lunch today, here's what I came up with. Fair warning, though, it's not all sunshine and roses.

*lunch
*BBQ
*Riscky's
*Jay
*Sydney - I feel bad for abandoning her - guilt? Makes me feel like a bad person. And of course, as always, I fear if I'm not a good "dog-mommy" I won't be a good real mommy. I always feared I would be a bad mother, which is one BIG reason I never wanted kids. All of that changed when I met Jeremy.

*So kind, so sweet, and I love watching him play with Cheyenne. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life making him happy. Nurturing each other and nurturing our children.

*Savannah Dai, if we had a little girl. Now I may not get my baby girl. But I will have my Savannah Dai. She will be the female main character of my NaNoWriMo novel.

*It doesn't have a name yet, but Savannah Dai's novel is part chick lit, part memoir. It's the story of a girl who loses everything - her job, her money, her love - and has to find out who she really is.

*I'm excited and terrified to take Savannah Dai on this journey to find herself. I'm heartbroken that I have to take this journey myself. I heard some good advice from a bar guest on Sunday, but it's so hard to take. He said that I should pray at the end of a relationship. Pray and say "thank you."

*Take what I've learned from it, and thank you that now I can move on to other things. It makes sense, but at the same time, it's the hardest, stupidest advice I've been given.

*I don't *want* to move on. I don't *want* to cry every day. To feel my heart break a little more every time he crosses my mind.

*I'm not a girl who *needs* a man to feel complete. But I *like* being around him. I *like* having him in my life. No one has ever made me feel so beautiful, sexy, and special.

*I know eventually I will have to dig deeper to resolve these feelings and move on. Especially as Savannah Dai begins to develop and I start to flesh out her story. I just don't feel like I can do it right now, today.

*SJ*

Word Count: 415

Confession #7

I'm a reality TV junkie! I simply cannot resist the carnage that comes with these reality "stars" getting so caught up in themselves! The shows I am watching currently are:

*Big Brother
*Real Housewives of *Everywhere*
*Project Runway
*Top Chef

And here's one I can't believe I'm about to admit -Repo Men. To be fair, I've only seen two episodes, on the recommendation of a new friend. When I told him I was a reality TV junkie, he asked if I watch tosh.0 and Repo Men. Never having seen either, I had no idea what to expect.

That very night after I got home, I was having a hard time sleeping. I started flipping channels and lo and behold found Repo Men. I watched a couple of episodes, but I'm not totally sold. I finally watched tosh.0 today, which did have its funny moments. tosh.0 is a show that basically recaps all sorts of funny videos from the internet. Some are funny, some are gross, others downright stupid! It's something I might watch from time to time, but I certainly won't set my Tivo for it.

So, what are your favorite TV shows? What should I be watching that I'm missing out on? Feel free to share!

*SJ*

Confession #6 - I'm a Tech Junkie

I think I *literally* bought the third iPod ever created. We're talking Generation 1 here! Of course, since I have HORRIBLE luck with electronics, I am now on my 8th iPod, but that's beside the point.
I also have a couple of laptops, three SLR cameras (one is DSLR, 2-35mm), a Wii, XBox, XBox 360, and myriad other electronics paraphernalia. So, what's my latest quest, you ask?

Behold: (queue angelic music)

iPad awesomeness!!

I know, I'm really late to this party. I'm not actually *late* per se, but they have been out for a few months now. I'm actually right on schedule for mine, though, as I had always planned to buy myself one for my birthday.

In case anyone's counting, my birthday is exactly 31 days from today. I went to the Apple Store this evening where two things happened. 1) I got the BEST customer service I think I have ever had and 2) I got completely sold on the iPad.

A very friendly girl named Chelsea approached me, and - poor thing - I don't think she knew what she was getting into! Forty-five minutes later, I left the store, feeling completely satisfied with my impending purchase. In case you've been living in a cave, here are some of the things I'm looking forward to on my iPad:

*eReader app called iBook (also has a Kindle app available for download)

*mobile web browsing without having to lug around a laptop

*over 100,000 apps including geocaching (see yesterday's post) & games for my nieces/nephews

*stylus available (add'l purchase) to write notes, draw pictures, etc

I'm really excited to get my iPad and figure out all the cool things I can do on it. I've been reading the threads at 2 Peas and, from what I can tell, I won't be able to put it down! So, what do you think about the iPad? Do you have one? Love it? Hate it? I'd love to hear what you use *your* iPad for!

*SJ*

A L'il Bit O Me (AKA Confession #5)

(Fair warning: This list was swiped from a couple of Peas' blogs)

1: Real Name: Sarah
2: Nickname: Sar-z, Sarah Jane, Sar, Sarz
3: Real Age: Eek! OK, I'm 30, but I lie & tell people I'm 24
4: Horoscope: Virgo
5: Male or Female: Female
6: Elementary: Eastland Elementary
7: Middle School: Eastland Jr.
8: High School: Roseville High
9: College: Southwestern A/G University & University of North Texas
10: Hair Color: Dark Brown with Blonde & Maroon highlights
11: Long or Short: Long, going for longer
12: Loud or Quiet: Anyone who knows me, knows I'm loud!
13: Sweats or Jeans: Jeans, always
14: Phone or Camera: Camera, unless it's for texting. But I hate talking on the phone
15: Health Freak: Nah, not a freak, but "conscious"
16: Drink or Smoke: Drink; hate smoking
17: Do you have a crush on someone: Yep, and I think he likes me back! ; )
18: Eat or Drink: Unfortunately, eat! I am always snacking on something!
19: Piercings: I used to have 13 in my ears, but most of them closed up. I also have my tongue pierced.
20: Tattoos: None yet
21: Social or Anti-Social: Mostly social, but very shy at first
22: Righty or Lefty: Righty
23: First Piercing: Ears; I pierced my own at age 7!
24: First Relationship: First "real" one was at age 18
25: First Best Friend: Jennifer Legumina (we called her 'Jenny Legs')
26: First Award: Perfect Attendance in Kindergarten. Maintained through most of my school years, along with Honor Roll
27: First Kiss: Age 19
28: First Pet: 2 goldfish, Lucky & Looney, I won at the MI State Fair
29: First Big Vacation: Cozumel in 2005
30: First Love at First Sight: Yes! Definitely YES
31: First Big Birthday: Probably 18
32: First Surgery: None (knock on wood)
33: First Sport You Joined: Basketball in 4th grade

This or That
34: Orange or Apple Juice: Orange - no pulp, please!
35: Rock or Rap: Rock
36: Country or Metal: Mostly Country, but a little Metal every now and then
37: Salty or Sweet: Sweet, but love the salty/sweet combo!
38: Coffee or Tea: Gimmee coffee!!
39: Night or Day: Night
40: Sun or Moon: SUN!!!
41: TV or Internet: I have to choose? OK, TV
42: Playstation or XBox: XBox or Wii
43: Kiss or Hug: I kiss everyone!
44: Pepsi or Coke: PEPSI
45: Wine or Beer: Vodka, chilled
46: Fall or Spring: Fall always reminds me of home
47: Limewire or iTunes: iTunes
48: Early or Late: My internal clock is perpetually 3 minutes late!
49: Troublemaker or Peacemaker: mostly troublemaker!
50: Sensitive or Loud: definitely both

Currently
51: Eating: Just finished some Cheetos
52: Drinking: XXX Vitamin Water Zero
53: Excitement Level: Pretty excited, but not in a good way
54: I'm About to: post this, then run to Wal-Mart
55: Listening to: True Blood Season 2 reruns, gearing up for Season 3
56: Plan for Today: Wal-Mart, then cooking an awesome dinner from my mom's recipe
57: Waiting for: something good to happen
58: Wearing: standard "Day Off" uniform: T-shirt, jeans, flip flops, baseball cap
59: Wearing glasses or contacts: Glasses
60: Perfume/Cologne: None right now
61: Thinking of Someone: Yes
62: Want Kids: Thankful I don't have to worry about anyone but me today
63: Want to Get Married: My husband wouldn't like that
64: When: See #63
65: How Many Kids Do You Want: One, maybe
66: Any Names On the Mind: I'd have to be more serious about it to think of names
67: What Did You Want to be When You Were Little: famous
68: Career: Bartender/Student
69: Mellow Future or Wild: Exciting, full of opportunities, but probably not wild

Gotta go make that Wal-Mart trip I've been talking about. More to come!

*SJ*

Confession #4

I'm a craft-a-holic. You name it, I've tried it. From latch-hook in the fourth grade to my recent obsession with stamping (ok, what I really mean here is collecting stamps), I have a serious problem. Some other crafts that I've tried include:

Papier-mache
Ceramics
Painting
Scrapbooking
Candlemaking
Jewelry making
Photography

What crafts have you tried and loved? What would you like to try? Please share!

*SJ*

Confession #3

I am horrible at following through with what I start. This probably isn't a huge revelation, since I started these confessions quite some time ago. But just in case you're not convinced, I've also never finished college, although I did start back two years ago. Of course, in keeping with the theme of my life, I've changed my major/career path approximately 842 times, most recently just before this semester started.

I also have a hard time sticking to a diet. I'm sure that's true for a lot of people, but I at least feel guilty when I "cheat." Also, I *love* to make lists! Things to do, things to buy, places to go, photo shoots, vacation ideas...you name it, I always have at least half a dozen lists started in my head. How many of those things I actually get accomplished on the other hand, is a different story!

One thing I will say for myself is that I am very loyal to my friends. Of course, as with just about anyone, I've had friends come and go over the years. But there are friends who I don't see often, and we speak seldom, but if I ever needed them, they would be there in an instant.

What types of things do you have trouble following through on?

*SJ*

Confession #2

I love sports, but I'm a *huge* fair-weather fan. Example: When I was in high school, my dad told me about a quarterback named Brett Favre. So for the next 12 years, I proudly proclaimed myself a loyal Packers fan. Then Favre retired. Then he came back, but as a NY Jet. OK, OK, we all know the story. The point is, I used to be able to name the Packers players, give you stats about the game, the stadium, who had how many yards, etc. Now, I couldn't even tell you what their record was last year. I guess in truth, I am more a fan of individual players, rather than a team, necessarily.

Football does hold a very dear spot in my heart, right next to mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combination of jiu jitsu fighting, wrestling, boxing, and muay thai fighting. It's really dangerous, and the fights can get pretty graphic, but it is so exhilarating to watch! I can name most of the seasoned fighters in the UFC (the most well-known league), and I definitely have my favorites.

I know I can't be the only girl who likes to see someone taken out by an arm-bar or a flying knee. Anyone else out there...anyone? Speak up! Let me know what your favorite sport is!

*SJ*